Where can you find great seafood, enough history to fill several books, top-flight golf, first class fishing and acres and acres of some of the most beautiful forest land east of the Mississippi? The answer can be found just eighteen miles south of Washington, DC in Charles County, Maryland, an area that has become a Mecca for boaters and fishermen and a magnet for history buffs and seafood lovers alike.Although among the fastest growing areas in the state, Charles County still retains a natural beauty that surprises most visitors, expecting just another suburban community. Instead, they find 150 miles of spectacular shoreline and the second largest population of bald eagles in the state. They also discover the historic settlement of Port Tobacco and some of the finest bass fishing around.
Charles County greets visitors with a blend of new economic growth and old traditions unique in the capital metro area. Annual events include a Wine and Balloon Festival in October, the annual Charles County Fair in September, and an American Indian Pow Wow held in June and September. Events at the historic sites include a John Wilkes Booth Tour which features the Dr. Samuel A Mudd Home and Museum located in northern Charles County. Celebrate the 4th of July at the Charles County Fairgrounds or the Town of Indian Head after attending the dedication of the Thomas Stone National Historic Site. The town of La Plata has an annual Pumpkin Jubilee that you won't want to miss. Choose to dine in one of our waterfront crab houses either in Popes Creek or Cobb Island. Bike one of the roadside bike paths or call 800-766-3386 today to receive your bird watching guide for Charles County or Calendar of Events. The guide identifies over 320 species of birds found in our county.
Whether you choose to visit for rural culture, excellent bass / striper fishing, water access, scrumptious seafood, historic sites, abundance of retail or antique shops or to just get away, you won't be disappointed. There is something for everyone here.
Visit Charles County. Discover another world, and share the best kept secret this side of the Potomac.
Shady Oaks of Serenity B & B
Shady Oaks of Serenity is a beautiful bed and breakfast inn. It is not far from the Amish country of St. Mary's County, and the house is decorated with pictures of the Amish with even an Amish hat in the guest room on the main floor. This room has a private bath, king size bed and self serve bar. A room with a double bed and one with twin beds share a bath. The house is a Georgian Victorian with a wide column portico and is the first B & B in Charles County. Kathy Kazimer and retired husband, Gene, remodeled the home with two family rooms, fireplace, patio, four upstairs bedrooms and a three car garage. Visitors gather in the sitting room or large deck, a cheerful spot for breakfast or high tea, included in the reasonable overnight rate.
Innkeepers: Kathy and Gene Kazimer. 3 rooms, one on main floor. Cash or checks. No pets, no smoking, children over 14 only. Near Thomas Stone Memorial Site, Dr. Mudd House.
7409 Serenity Drive, Bryantown, MD 20617
301-923-8864 or 800-597-0924
Dr. Samuel Mudd House
The Dr. Samuel Mudd House, circa 1830, now on the National Register, was restored by Dr. Mudd's granddaughter who believed that her grandfather's spirit should be vindicated. Dr. Mudd was implicated in the assassination of Lincoln, as he had treated the leg of John Wilkes Booth. On April 15, 1865, at 4am, he arose from sleeping to answer a knock on his door. Dr. Mudd did not recognize Booth, because he was in disguise, although he later testified to having met him before.
Dr. Mudd was tried and convicted by a military court then sentenced to life imprisonment at Fort Jefferson, Florida. He was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson four years later, following a request for the doctor's release, signed by all prisoners and wardens in appreciation for Mudd's aid in a yellow fever epidemic. He died in 1883, his reputation damaged. As the family tried to clear his name,. Louise Mudd Arehart met his spirit in her own house about 30 years ago, she tells. Then, she began to see him from afar. Finally she recognized him and organized the Committee for the Restoration of the Samuel A. Mudd House. Call 301-934-8464.
Wiltshire Plains B & B
The Wiltshire Plains Bed and Breakfast, circa 1760, is a charming 1760s farmhouse that has been owned and occupied by the Boone family since 1859. This colonial home has been recently renovated and is furnished with family antiques and photographs. Guests enjoy a complimentary breakfast served in the formal dining room or on the patio, overlooking a picturesque pond. A roomy comfortable parlor, sunroom and den are available to guests for reading, relaxing or watching television. Three bedrooms with private or shared baths offer queen size four poster beds and a sitting area. Guest amenities include phone, fax, copier, satellite TV, area maps, directions and travel agency.
Innkeepers: Charles and Anne Boone. Parlor, sunroom patio 3 bedrooms. No pets or children under 14. Visa, MC. Near Bryantown, Port Tobacco, St. Mary's City. Touring, shopping, sightseeing.
Thomas Stone Historic Site
You will find the mansion of Governor Thomas Stone three miles from La Plata on the west side of Rose Hill Road. Thomas Stone was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, who had his city home in the Peggy Stewart House in Annapolis but was born in Charles County. His younger brother, John Hoskins Stone, became Governor of Maryland and returned to his native county. Thomas Stone served as State Senator and as a delegate to Congress under the Articles of Confederation. He declined to be a delegate to the Continental Congress because of failing health and died in 1787. His home is now called the Thomas Stone Historic Site and is operated by the National Park Service. Its five parts are arranged in an arch. The central section is brick with a gambrel roof and to the east, is a small frame, one and a half storey gambrel roof structure. The site is open to the public. Phone 301-934-6027.
Charles County: Linden Farm Linden Farm
For over 200 years, Linden has stood overlooking the Port Tobacco valley as home of the Mitchell family. The first Mitchell in the county named Hugh, was a settler from England who came here in 1790, when the village of Port Tobacco was a thriving port community. His son, John, spent a fortune equipping a company of militia which fought in the Revolutionary War. His son, Water J.H. Mitchell, was the first to live at Linden. It is owned today by the wife of one of his descendants, Mrs. Hugh Mitchell of La Plata.
Now on the National Register, it was built of logs, later covered with clapboard to conform to its additions. An excellent example of the county's early architecture, it certainly dates to the 18th century. The house has seven working fireplaces, all with original mantles. In its 1976 restoration, great care was given to preserving the original floors, stairway and bannister, doors and windows. The front veranda is 90 feet long and overlooks the valley and lower pasture, the site of a Civil War Union camp. Linden is a working farm and young horses are always under training. Dependencies are also original.
The house is decorated with furnishings from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, some being 200 years old. The Crow's Nest offers a 3/4 bed, private bath and panoramic view, while the 1783 room has a double bed fireplace and valley view, and the Barley Room, queen and twin beds, extra large room and garden view. The library affords a good selection of of fiction and nonfiction plus board games and puzzles.
InnKeeper: Karen Briggs. Phone 301-934-9003. Address, 8530 Mitchell Rd La Plata, Md. 20646. Meals, country breakfast. Rooms. 3. Nearby, 9 hole golf course across the road, tennis courts and swimming pool, marinas hiking biking and walking at Doncaster State Forest, a 30 minute drive sightseeing in D.C., 45 minutes away, restaurants, a few minutes drive.